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Dragons952 Jan 31, 2017 @ 11:57pm

Using other websites/services that are not affiliated with Steam or Valve

There are several sites on the internet where you can sign in through steam. How do I know a website is safe to use?

My biggest concern is that I'll end up getting a VAC ban if I use my Steam login credentials to sign in to these websites/services that are not affiliated with Steam or Valve.

Here are some sites I would like to get verified safe to use before using:
https://steamdb.info/
https://steamrep.com/
https://www.steamgifts.com/

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Showing 1-12 of 12 comments

76561198218426745 Jan 31, 2017 @ 11:58pm

You are safe as long as only enter your login information on Steam. Check for the lock icon in the address bar.

Forcen Jan 31, 2017 @ 11:59pm

I think you are missunderstanding this..

See when you log in to one of those website you will notice that it sends you to https://steamcommunity.com/openid/login which IS a verified steam website.
That website tells the other website who you are and after you log in and then takes you back there and logs you in to the other website.

Last edited by Forcen; Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:00am

Snapjak Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:00am

Steamdb only pulls publically available information using the steam api.
SteamRep is merely doing the same to keep track of traders.

Steam gifts is not affiliated and will get basically zero help here.

How you would get a VAC ban from any of that is... frankly absurd. VAC doesn't care about what sites you visit, only if a cheat/modification is running while you are connected to a secured server while in a VAC protected game.

Please read up on it. The faq explains it all.
https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7849-RADZ-6869

Last edited by Snapjak; Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:01am

Forcen Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:02am

Those website are not official steam websites, that's why they have to ask the real website to verify you. That's how you know that you are safe.

If you entered your password and something else then steamcommunity.com or steampowered.com is in the adress field then you are making a mistake.

It's explained in the login site:

Sign into steamrep.com using your Steam account
Note that steamrep.com is not affiliated with Steam or Valve
By signing into steamrep.com through Steam:

the site will be able to identify you within the Steam Community and retrieve public info such as your stats and achievements.
a unique numeric identifier will be shared with the site, rather than your Steam login credentials.
basic information about your Steam account will be shared with a third-party web site. See our Privacy Policy for more information.

Last edited by Forcen; Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:03am

Dragons952 Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:10am

Ever since I heard that there were several gambling sites that started leveraging the Steam trading system. I have been concerned about what sites are safe use or not. Because apparently people could get into a lot of trouble for these kind of things.

Forcen Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:12am

If you get into trouble it's not the part where you log in to the site that gets you into trouble..

It's what you do on that site that matters, just like most sites.

For example if you submit items to them to gamble for and they get banned from steam and trading you get the trouble of not being able to get your stuff back.
EDIT: Because it became their stuff the moment you traded it to them.

Last edited by Forcen; Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:14am

Dragons952 Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:29am

The whole point of me posting this discussion is to know whether or not these sites are 100% safe to use or not. I just want to make sure, and be given to okay that I won't be getting in trouble to use any of these sites like, https://www.steamgifts.com/. A site where you can get a chance on winning giveaways.

76561198218426745 Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:30am

You can get in trouble on any web site, depending on what you are doing on that site. Nothing bad will happen simply from using the Steam API to log in there.

Forcen Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:34am

Yes, those three sites are safe.

But you should really try to see how they work and what part of using them makes them safe.

Steamgifts for example is just a site that has a raffle, you, me, anyone can make a raffle and anyone can enter the drawing.

If i make a raffle I'm the one who gives you the game if you win it, either via email as a steam gift or a steam key. There is no risk on your end to enter the raffle, there is no fee.
When the winner gets the game he marks it as received so you or anyone can see that people are not making up stuff.

The important part is that valve doesn't really care what you do outside of their own websites or systems.
The only part of this that valve sees there is the website asking what your profile is and they confirm that you are that profile.
The website checks what games you have, they can do this without you logging in just like anyone can if your profile is public. Not your responsibility.
The last part is the games you give or recieve. Nothing to worry about there, it's just a gift from one user to another.

Last edited by Forcen; Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:42am

Forcen Feb 1, 2017 @ 12:49am

The thing valve tries to stop now is gambling as can be seen here: http://www.teamfortress.com/post.php?id=27111

and here: http://store.steampowered.com/news/22883/

And they are going after the websites and the accounts they use to give out and take in items.
They are not after the users but they won't help the users who say they are owed items.

They do this because online gambling is illegal in USA.

Steamgifts isn't gambling, it's just a drawing with no fee or any of that and it's all between users.

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